, 1887-06-17
PIONEER DAYS IN OHIO

1880 - AAV I -
Old Families Annals.
The western reserve Of Ohio received
in its settlers the best blood of New Eng
land. Those men ~journeycd thither ii
sprinGless wagons, or in sleds, following
through the woods trails which were So
narrow that a passage for their teams
had to be cut. S1onths werr occupied in
tho fahCuiEs, uncomfortable journey,
during Which the emigrants encountered
sickness, hunger, Wild beasts, and wilder
Indians. When 1.-THE land of promise"
was reached, Q log hut, with CREASED
paper for windows, a door ofsplit boards
and o rudc floor, was run 10. The in
mates of ono log cabin chung up o Quilt,
end that, wish . Zig ball Cog, constituted
the door," Wooden dishes and bowls
were used for years after the arrival OF
tue settlers. When yellow clay dishes
and bowls were made the hardy house.
wives looked upon them as luxuries.
The pioneer mothers were gifted with
q faculty" They made mince ME OF
pumpkin instead of apple, and with vim
sGar in place of wine and cider, and
they used bears meat instead of beef.
These pies wcrc sweetened with wild
honey, and seasoned with pulverized pep
per.
Salt was brought from Oaondaga, N.
T., on OK teams or PACK horses, and cost
go n barrel. Later on q salt spring was
discovered, to which people from all
parts of tho reserve repaired in tho spring
with q Kettle, to manufacture their own
salt.
Corn bread, baked on a clean board
before a roaring fire, was the staple cr-
dclc of dict. 1t was served smoking hot,
and with it q bow of milk and q wooden
spoon. Il corn was ground in tho hol-
low of an OAK stump; tho grinding was
accomplished by pounding with q stone
pestlc, hung to u spring pole. Afterward
hand mills came into use, which required
two hours of steady turning to grind meal
enough to supply a days food to one
person.
The annals of one of the old families OF
tho reserve record that for three months
a younger con looked after the supply of
corn meal. lie had chills and fever, and
the nearest hand mill was at q ~nei-hbor's,
five miles distant.
He harTnonlzed his work and hi
shakes" In the MORNING., as coon as
the first ''shake" was over, he walked t.
tho neighbours carrying q peck of corn.
lie would grind lis grist, wait until the
second shake" had passed, and then
walk home.
Another family. whose head was away
seeking food, lived for three days on
boiled beech leaves. On the fourth day
the smallest son, IL years old, rushed into
the cabin, crying. Give me the Gunl !
can shoot q dcerl"
Tho mother took down the gun from
tho rack, gave il to the boy. and babe the
children hush and listen. Tho report and
tho shout told of the boys success; he
had killed q fine deer.
Tho father of another family went
twenty miles to buy provisions. lis
WHO and three children were SO destitute
during his absence that sho cmotied the
straw Of her led on tho cabin floor, AID
pic1cd it over to obtain what wheat she
could. She gathered n handful, which
she boiled end gave to her children.
A wild turkey approached the cabla;
she heard IL call, and took down her hus-
bands rifle, which she had been taught
to handle. There wa3 but one charge of
powder il tho house, and that was in
tho Gun. Sh realized the situation, but,
controlling her nerves, c-ept near TIE
bird end fired. The tu-,-cy fell dead,
and sho had food for her Little ones.
Bears cad wolves wero numerous, and
SNSAJ C4D-u lliiu It's "OI OF Dear bIOTY.
There was scarcely a pioneer but could
bra3 of having been chased up q tree by
a black Lear. The women could tell OF
their rudc strategy to keep the many
wolves from the door.
Ono woman burned Gunpowdcr in q
spoon, held through crevice in her log
cabin. to friGhten away the wolves. An
other kept the spinning wheel going all
night 60 that her little one worlI not lie
scared by the howEaSs of tho hungry
wolves.
Women had to be brave. One woman
heard in tie evening the bowling of
wolves. Sho had q few sheep, and hay
ing put tho children to bed, she lighted a
torch and sailed forth. Sho found the
sheep huGdled together in the pasture,
and eaw the dark forms of tho skulking
wolves. Tho sheep followed her home,
where she built a large fire, and thus
Kept the beasts of Frey at bay.-Youth's
Companion.